Emotion
by NuklearWaffles
Summary: Rorschach, pseudo-hero, murderer, savior. Violently maiming criminals comes second nature to him but what happens when a new type of problem comes his way?
1. Introductions

Added in an author's comment (0_0) =)

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The air tasted foul that night, chill forced its way though my jacket invading my senses. My face was partially frozen to my skin, it didn't matter, and adjustment would mean more discomfort. People screamed for help in the dark alleyways, the capillaries of the city retched with muggings rape and terror. Saving them all was a laughable dream. A young woman's shrill cries echoed out from just below me, shattering my silent musings.

I had taken a drink too many that night, it made just the right difference. Three story drops weren't difficult for me on a sober night but tonight was different, my inebriation was my enemy as I descended gracefully off of jutting ledges only to fall fifteen feet to the ground like some kind of endangered bird. My legs gave out and I lay sprawled across the floor like a fool.

Slowly I made my way back to my feet, the rapist gawked at my anti-climatic entrance so I gave them something to listen to "Hurm….You should let her go." My words slurred out of my mouth, ruining their intimidating effect. I wasn't listening to what the ugly one said, it didn't matter anyways. He stepped forward brandishing a knife, brimming with self confidence, what a joke…

I let his bladed lunge connect with my shoulder, to humor him. I was shocked to see him frozen, eyes wide open, he seemed shocked that I wasn't invincible, just human. Maybe he expected his knife to bend in half or snap in contact with my skin, you could never be sure. "Hurm… I'm flattered."

Blood gushed out of my wound as I forcibly removed the knife and tossed it to the floor with a metallic clack. Under my face my mouth smiled.

My arm swung out as I backhanded him, my fist snapped and cracked things in his mouth, I could almost feel the blood gushing from where the teeth on the right side of his face used to reside. The rapist stumbled back across the slick dampened floor to the brick wall behind him. Rage was melded with my actions as I violently grasped the back of his head, his messy black hair shook as I pulled him closer. "I've got little sympathy for trash like you." That was the last he heard of me as I bashed his face into the moldy brick wall.

On the first hit he begged for his life, his nose was bleeding profusely and was bent at a ridiculous angle, the second hit he was incomprehensible, it was probably because of the fact that his jaw was sticking out of his face and was hanging down along with a mess of ripped skin muscle and tears, the third hit I could tell he had shut down and only blood and wet squelches emitted from what was previously his face. His death angered me, I had screwed up, it was too quick, he didn't suffer nearly enough for how many people he had violated so I continued. Fourth hit, skull cracked and blood and juices of sorts were sprayed all over my face coat and hat. Fifth hit, chunks of brain fell the floor and adorned the wall along with a piece of his left eyeball. Six, It was getting progressively harder to discern what this wet sack of meat used to be. Seven, decided the wall had been corrupted enough so I crammed my hands inside the dainty little crack that had formed leading to the inside of his skull. Pulled outwards causing his head to split in half front to back, my personal science experiment…messy. I examined the jagged handmade cross section of what was left in his head. I sighed, there was too much skin and hair in my way to see clearly so I picked up his knife and started to carve out the excess. Interest started to wane as I found the inside of his head was the same as anyone else's, no telltale marks to show he was a criminal. Carved my signature into his chest, daintily placed the knife in his skull to keep it propped open for the authorities to stare at… they would have an interesting work of art to look at.

Stood up and brushed off the little chunks of the man's flesh off my coat, lifted my face and exposed my skin to the night air, it was a nice. My meditation was interrupted by the slightest sound of breathing. I looked in horror as I saw the woman that was being raped huddled by a dumpster, looking right at me. Pulled my face back on and we stood in silence.

I fumed silently wondering what I should do, she had seen under my face. Walked to her and she started whimpering, and managed to talk. "Don't kill me, Rorschach." She cracked the sentence out through tears of fear as she slowly lost consciousness.

Couldn't leave her, she knew my other identity. Could kill her, but then what would I be? It wouldn't appear strange, Rorschach strikes again! Kills man and woman in alley! Nobody would do as much as bat an eye at the headline. Maybe it was the alcohol in my system, maybe it was a burst of the ever so rare flares of compassion that occasionally leaked through my persona, don't know. One way or another I stood in the alley holding her unconscious bleeding body in my arms. Got her personal effects off of my human art piece, Stephanie Kertz, twenty-one, organ donor, a few dollars and a picture of her with a guy, his face burned out with what I assume to be a lighter or cigarette. The last thing was a little folded piece of paper, in the shape of a Rorschach test, I didn't know what to think of it.

Strolled around with her in my arms, where was I going to take her? Had no real home, after a few minutes of aimless walking; Dan's apartment was looming in front of me. Was locked so I kicked the door down, it wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last time Dan's door faced mutilation by foot. I laid her down on the bed and looked her over. Pretty face with darkish brown long hair it seemed more straightish but still a little wavy. Clothes were in tatters and she was cut all over by that pocket knife the rapist had. Probably could've been completely naked and her body would've been more concealed than by her shredded apparel. Used to be a low cut tight shirt from what I could tell, it was green too, it was wet with alley water and blood, stuck to her skin, her fairly large breasts rose up through the ripped cloth their pinkish tips exposed to the air of the outside world. Her panties were dark grey with purple stripes, kinda shiny, were barely hanging onto her waist, I liked them... for the color, I'm not a perv. Tight shorts, ripped open, assumed it would be "easier access" for the rapist, caught him before he started really violating her, arrived just on time.

I perused Dan's living area looking for the entrance to his little "Owl lair", now Dan's a great guy but naming things? Owl lair? I shudder every time I think of what his kids names might be. Found the button in a little secret slot in his dresser and the wall opened up. Carried her down and laid her on the couch that Dan set up for me for the times I had to sleep in a building. Needed to patch the girl up, I went to the medical cabinet and grabbed an assortment of things. Patching up other people usually isn't something I'd do, it was strange.

Took the bloodied clothes off of her and set them down on the floor, I kept the panties…I liked the material too…I'm not a perv. She would have some pretty serious scars from all the slicing and stabbing that the rapist did, the guy avoided her face, bust and crotch mostly, he probably wanted to keep his favorite parts pretty…sick fuck. After I finished cleaning her wounds I wrapped up the more serious injuries with gauze, that stuff was awkward to put on her, probably didn't do it right but I tried. Put band aids on the rest of her little injuries.

I needed to find something to cover her with, wasn't particularly cold but they always did it in movies, Dan's bed sheet would suffice. After covering her, food was at the top of my list, rummaged through his cabinets and got a can of tomato soup. Too lazy to open or warm it properly I stabbed it with a kitchen knife and drank it from the side, perfect.


	2. Complications

OK forgot to put stuff here before =P Well so it continues! I took into account some of the reviews and heres ch2!.

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That was a sleepless night of moral debating, once Dan returned it wouldn't matter, she would be let go or he wouldn't let me keep her here, maybe a million to one chance of him helping. I guess bringing food to her would be a start, could talk to her, see if shes the loose lipped type. Could at least try to make a friend other than Dan.

It occurred to me that she might not like the fact that her clothes were gone, I'd show her the ripped stuff, but the panties were mine... I'm not a perv. She freaks out I have no plan, thinking things through isn't my strong point. I fixed her up, that should give me points, didn't violate her, more points, she saw me, "examine" that guy's head, lost points, don't really know what I'm tallying here.

She should be waking up soon, don't want to make a bad impression or anything, I need to be there. I descended the stairs and brought a chair, sitting too close would freak her out, too far would be awkward. Don't have anything to do other than sit, no clocks near by, its probably better that way. After a few minutes I was tempted to wake her up, she was just sleeping now, her chest rose and fell with each breath. She turned over and opened her eyes, face fluctuated rapidly as my plan crumbled, she shot up from under the cover and stared at me before screaming, she held her arms over her chest and tried getting up. Lost too much blood she was off balance, fell over weakly and I tried to help her up. She prepared to yell in my face, I could tell, maybe she would say where am I, or who are you, no she knew I was Rorschach. "Where the FUCK are my panties?" she decked me in the jaw and flailed about in my grasp, didn't expect that, the panties, not the punch.

Had to say something, plans dont work with me. "I have your panties! Now stop moving!" Bad choice of words, her efforts were doubled and she screamed out curses and accused me. "You sick pervert!" Held my gloved hand against her mouth to shut her up, she bit me and I let her go, she flopped onto the couch. She wasnt dumb, knew she couldnt outrun me or anything, she was beligerent. "Give me my panties back!" "No! I like the,material... not a perv." My hand shoved into my coat pocket, begrudgingly tossed the panties to her. Silence permeated the air, was awkward. Her eybrow raised she slowly edged back as far as she could on the sofa. "What do you want from me Rorschach?" I had no awnser, didnt know, knew she knew my mask, saw under my face, didnt know what to do with her. Tossed her tattered clothes to her, bad idea, she broke down, she started to better remember what happened in the alley.

She scrambled back crazily, falling off the sofa again, was hyperventilating, lost points, pretty sure she was thinking of that guys head, had to try and sound less sick "The guy was raping you, I saved you, patched you up." "You tore his fucking head in half with your bare hands for fun!" she scrambled back, I took a step to her "Not for fun. Don't judge me girl." She spat in my direction, disrespect to her savior, what a bitch.

Hairs on my neck rose, Dan was here, maybe forty seconds before he found us. Clamped my gloved hand over her mouth again, gagged her, ripped the bed sheet and tied her. Shoved her into a closet, gotta be inconspicuous.

"Rorschach? Leave my door be! What did it ever do to you?" Dan came in with a friendly smile like always, should invest in a stronger door. "Slows me down, don't like doors. I uh needed a place for the night." Dan kept his smile, raised and eyebrow. "You have your own apartment don't you?" "Hurm...your point?" Dan almost seemed happier "Alright, for old times sake."

Crisis, almost happened, didn't, pretty good for no plan. Dan went back up stairs, gave me a window to move her around. She was writhing in the closet, shes crazy to try that hard, trying to hit her body against stuff, make noise. Slapped her face, little too hard, got the job done anyways, mouth growled at her. "Be quiet." Hoisted her up, ran her down by Archie, put her down behind a stack of boxes and junk. Dan was still upstairs, caught up to him in the living room. "Daniel, is there an exit down there?" I got the eyebrow again, "Yeah, why do you ask Rorschach?" No plans, gotta think, "Different, faster way in, doesn't bust up your door." Dan brightened and rose to his feet like he won the lotto. "This is huge Rorschach! I'm not going to have to fix my door anymore! I'm proud of you." Mental note, had to kick his door again.


	3. Revelations

Third chapter =D I'm fond of this one, more violence ;D. Review tell me how I'm doing!

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Need to find a better place to keep her, place to convince her not to tell anyone, Daniels is too risky. Went back to her, she wasn't struggling anymore, the fire was gone, just laying there. Felt a little bad, not that bad. Hoisted her up and started climbing out of Daniel's place, still raining, filth is still around, have to put her somewhere so cleaning can continue.

"Where do you live!" She whimpered, forgot to take the gag out. "Don't scream." Pulled the cloth out and waited. "Are you going to let me go?" Gritted my teeth, had to word it right. "Yes and no..." Didn't sound too bad, she seemed happier. Why does her happiness matter? Shes just some nearly naked bitch, slung over my shoulder, knows who am, her skin trying to deceive my senses. Shouldn't care, don't care, need to clean filth, setting me back. "I live in an apartment on east sycamore." Had to be discreet, easier said than done with an exposed and hogtied girl over shoulder. Took back alleys and bad places, multitask, found a drug dealer.

Dropped her to the floor she cried out in pain, not my problem. The dealer made a run for it, caught him, threw him down, flipped a dumpster on his legs. His incessant screaming grated on my ears, decided to speed things up a bit. Opened the dumpster, pulled out some trash, stuffed it in the guys throat, "You are what you eat!" Dug my heel into his eye, popped it, gouged out other with thumb. Stuck my hand in his mouth, twisted jaw until it snapped at the bridge and flopped about wildly, blood and spit dribbled out as he attempted to scream again, note to self, jaws seem to be becoming a trend for me. Stepped on his head, leaned on it slowly, screams turned to gurgles as his head caved in. Brains and muck littered the floor, he was a screamer, left a card. Returned to Stephanie, no returned to girl, don't care about her name. Didn't look nearly as shocked, shame that I desensitised her, she would be easier to carry unconscious.

East Sycamore was far, couldnt take to rooftops, might drop her in the process, it shouldnt matter to me. Someone was following, didnt dare turn around, might tip him off. At the corner I'd get him, beat awnsers out of him. Put her down by a trashcan, had to do it just right, this guy wasnt clueless, hadnt noticed him for a while, not just a thug. His feet splashed in the putrid gutter water, sloshing closer and closer. Grabbed a trashcan lid, gona throw it at his face. Three, two, one.

Turned the corner, let go, the lid flew at the man in the brown coat. Perfect throw, it would hit him right in the neck, might kill him on the spot. The man ducked and moved to the side, the lid traced by his head. "Rorschach! Its me Daniel!" Damnit, scared me, need to hone skills more, would've been bad if he wasn't friend. "Don't sneak up on me Daniel..." He was flailing his arms in the air, scared him more than me. "God damn Rorschach! Where is the girl?" How did he know? Did he know the whole time? Note to self, don't underestimate retired owls.

"This is my problem Daniel!" He paced and tried running past me, to get to her, stopped him pushed him back. "You cant keep her hostage forever Rorschach! You have to let her go at some point or another." "I am." Dan stared at me and to the corner again. "She's behind the trashcans isn't she? Just let her go, I'll talk to her, It's going to be fine, she saw under your mas- she saw under your face right?" Daniel knew me too well, knew how I thought, best partner, only partner, that's why he couldn't be my partner. "No! Need to do this myself! Wont kill her, promise you." My face fluttered about making shapes, matched my stress. Why am I fighting him, he could always fix things like this back when we were working together, we're not working together anymore, on my own. He was silent for a while. "OK Rorschach, I trust you..." Caught me off guard, I respect Daniel more now, few people trust Rorchach's judgement. Stood around like an idiot in the rain, had to go.

Continued on foot, she's quieter now, almost seems relaxed, maybe she realized I'm not her enemy, maybe something else. All this thinking is hurting, need to stop thinking. What was the card in her wallet about, need to ask her that, no it doesn't matter. She started shivering, hypothermia would start soon, couldn't break promise to Daniel. Have to keep this semi innocent whore alive because of my big mouth.

No rush, sunrise was seven hours away, plenty of time. No, should hurry, get the semi filth off my shoulder, whats wrong with me. Group of druggies stood around a fire, warming themselves, hope they start a fight, need something to take mind off Stephanie, girl, don't care about name. First two out of five ran, smart ones, last two think they are tough, foolish. There was a battered hobo in the side of the alley, looked clean, druggies probably beat him away from fire, assholes. First one, snapped his arm at the elbow, ducked under punch, knee to the sternum, just stood looking like a fool with a backwards arm, coughing up blood, save him for later. Other guy is spooked, caught him by collar, started rubbing his face on rusty edge of fire barrel, gonna saw through his head. More pleading, begging, they always beg, like they can reach the minuscule chunk of humanity I still posses, fools. Walking in circle nice and slow, grinding his skin off, the sensitive cheek tissue, against cheek bones. Blood sizzled and cooked in the fire, gave me an idea. Changed position, put neck on barrel rim, gonna decapitate, his head set on fire. More begs as his charred, melted lips fell off, his eyes blackened, nothing but cooked meat now. Finished the job, his head sat, roasting in fire pit. Heard a click, sound of a gun, turned back, grinning freak with the backwards arm, snub nose pointed at my head.

His finger started back, this is it, moving wouldn't save me, too late. Had to do something, no, she was behind him. She screamed out, enraged, looped her tied hands round his head, started twisting. Guy freaks, shoots off into the air, his neck turns, turns, turns, a little more and she has the sweet spot. A crisp crack echoed, he slumped over, head facing the wrong way, she let go, dropped him onto the floor, she gets points for that, what am I tallying?

Just stood, rain dripped down her soaked frame, body slightly illuminated by the fire, taller than I thought, maybe just the circumstances. Not a whore anymore, just bitch, gave me a funny look, like she expected something. "What do you want?" She looked surprised, her eyes seemed to brighten but her face kept the defiant frown. She nodded towards the hobo, "Help him" odd request, she got points, though she was going to say something stupid like let me go.

Don't know why, helped him to his feet, handed him snub nose. "Defend yourself." The guy was all gums, grinning like a madman, looked around sixty-five. "Thank you so much Rorschach." Cringed under face, don't want thanks, hobo settled by fire, threw the head in dumpster, we had to go.


	4. Accusations

"You could've gotten away..." She didn't speak, just sat in the rain drenched sewage of the alley. Picked her up again, slung over shoulder. Don't know what she's doing, her feet aren't tied, must've gotten loose, didn't matter. Think I understand, Stockholm syndrome, no, don't really understand, something else was hidden, couldn't discern what. Cant risk her running, nothing to tie her feet with, stupid excuse to carry her, I feel corrupted.

She didn't cry much, no way it was her first, seemed experienced, too good at killing. Starting to wonder who or what she really is, need to investigate, cant figure out how. I've been deceived, made me think she was helpless, let herself get hurt, or did she? Mind is processing too much information. Still don't know what to do once we arrive at apartment, don't plan things. Cant let her go, seen my mask, maybe I could talk to her. What have I come to, negotiation, growing too soft, remember the time when she would've been just another dead girl in an alley, wouldn't have thought twice. Growing soft.

Cant settle on a solid goal, just get to apartment, that's all that matters right now. She almost seems to enjoy me carrying her, seems too docile, should drop her make her carry her own weight. Dumped her on the floor, gritted my teeth, had to keep up intimidation. "You can walk, I can catch you if you run, walk..." She seemed different, look in her eyes, lust...thankfully not for me.

Blood lust, maybe it was her first time, sickened me, was I so different? Rorschach discarded the skin of Walter Kovacs in a bloodstained fiasco. Remember every bit, the grimy house, reeked of decay and other, things. Perversion, the stench of a freak, corrupting and discarding a poor child to the dogs after he had taken his fill of her innocence, the newest chew toy. Dogs, didn't know that much better, didn't care, guilt by association. Cut them up, smashed corpses on owner, show what hell he had wrought, his grapes of wrath spilled out before him, wasn't over. Chained to the furnace, the furnace for incinerating children's remains, he deserved worse. Cleaver, damaged rusty and chipped, cheap steel, made in china, made for hacking up limbs of the unwanted. The unwanted lay before me in the degrading spiral of human emotion, lying, denial, anger, self pity, begging, loathing, the best was last. The last stage was when they hoped to find that human emotion in you, begged you to do what was right, save their soul from eternal damnation, Rorschach beat humane thinking back into the deep recesses it belonged. Legs, break them, cut them off, make him an amputee of ages, arms too. Cut just enough to keep him conscious, delicate as brain surgery. Got too exited, submerged the cleaver into the sensitive ocean of his brain cavity, ripped it out with a sweet sounding squelch. Twitches here and there, chicken with its head cut off. Continued the dissection, my first real science experiment, mental photographs of his inner workings, had to cross reference when the chance presented itself, see what makes sicko's tick. The same feeling was flowing through this girl, Stephanie, it was her first time, she was just a natural...

The new reevaluation almost let me look past her deceivingly slutty appearance, almost saw what drove me all that time ago. Debated why such effort was put into understanding her mental psyche, the makings of another vigilante. First time in my life I appreciated a woman's appearance and mindset all at once, only time would tell if acceptance would follow. Weakness that's what ran through me, a resurgence of the fool named Walter who had been left in the house I had burnt to the ground. His natural male urges and my reevaluation of her as a person was throwing my judgement. Seemed so perfect at the moment before I realized I was staring her down for no other reason. She took a deep breath, "I think I am starting to understand." How dare her, she understood me as a cockroach understands the heel of a shoe, not at all. Anger flowed across, insolent bitch, slapped her across the face, fell to the floor, splashed in the gutter water. "You don't understand a damn thing!" Wanted to kick her ribs in.

She slowly rose back to her feet, silently brushed dirt and grime off her naked body. Look of defeat, of understanding that she didn't understand, it never came. Nothing, a broad grin was painted onto her bruised and now reddening face. She laughed the laugh of someone lost to sanity, cracked, broken in all the wrong ways. "Hit me again Rorschach." No she wanted it now, she wanted the pain, couldn't fuel her lust. She crossed the line, could feel it, a shimmer in her eye signifying revelation. Confusing, body language changed, attempting seduction? Felt anger boiling through at he open act of whorishness, he hand feeling up and down her chest, like she could hope to get a favorable reaction. Open handed, no, my fist threw her to the wall and the floor. Blood seeped out of her mouth as she slowly rose again, smile still prevalent. "What the hell is wrong with you! Do that again, you die!" She brightened again, stepping far too close. Growled through my face, had to scare her off, make her understand. Whore grasped my hand, tried to force them onto her breasts while moving her body against mine. Rage built up as her body was once again thrown to the blackened brick wall, thumb on her windpipe, she gasped, squirmed in my grasp. "Stupid whore!" struggled less, she was sluggish in her movements, death throes, on her last few seconds. Threw her to the floor, unconscious again, promised Daniel. Not sure if I would've gone though with it regardless, she was faking it. Couldn't cope wanted it over, provoked me in the only way she knew was effective, she's easier to carry now.

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Took some liberties with the flashback, I know its wrong but... =P


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